Motion-picture apparatus



AIIQTIOH PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed July l. 1922 Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES ALBERT S. HOWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BELL & HOWELL COMPANY,`

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Original application led J'uly 1, 1922, Serial No. 572,170. Divided and this application led April 24, 1924. Serial No. 708,706.

the projection of adequate light having thel appearance of being continuously projected.

Another feature relates to the design of mechanism of the above characteristics which is simple, rugged, and compact and well adapted to the general character of the motion picture projecting machine described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent No.l

1,587,955, granted June 8, 1926, on applicatign, Serial No. 572,170, filed by me July 1, 1922, for improvement in motion picture projecting machine-and the like, of which application this application is a division.

With these features in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the 'said features and certain other features hereinafter appearing are effected all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a motion picture projecting machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in another position.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the main portion of the intermittent film feeding mechanism, hereinafter described.

Figure 4 is a partial central horizontal -section of the projecting machine.

'T Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the various views.

l Referring to the drawings 1 designates a gear casing which is secured in a usual manner to the front of another casing 2 of the machine. See Fig. 4. The gear casing f1 has a narrow transverse extension at one. side thereof, and a rear film face guide plate 3 is mounted in an opening in the front wall of this extension in a vertical transverse plane This plate has a light aperture 4 thereinthrough which light from a suitable source at the rear of the late passes for projection. The main portlon of the gear casing is separated from the above-mentioned transverse portion by a vertical forwardly and rearwardly extending wall 5, and mounted on this wall in a suitable manner is a lens mount member. 6, alined with the aperture 4, on the rear end of which 1s a vertical transverse wall portion 7 disposedin front of and in parallelism with the plate 3. The wall portion 7 is provided with a light aperture 8 registering with the aperture 4 of the plate 3 and through which the projecting light passes. A pair of vertically extending parallel film guiding members 9 are mounted in suitable openings in the wall portion 7 on opposite sides of the light aperture 8 and are sprinr pressed for limited movement rearwardly Iby means of springs 11 secured to the front side of the wall portion 7 and centrally engaging respective members 9 to spring press them rearwardly. In addition the wall portion 7 is provided with guiding rollers 12. A vertical film edge guide rail 13 is secured on the front surface of the plate 3 on the outside of the aperture 4, and vertically spaced guide members 14 spring pressed outwardly, in a manner unnecessary to be described, are disposed on the inside of thev aperture 4 of the plate 3. Thus is formed an apertured film guide, a film 15 being guided for vertical movement therein by the plate 3 at the rear, the guide members 9, and rollers 12 at the front, and the rail 13 and members 14 at opposite edges of the film, the members 14 exerting edgewise pressure on the film in the guide.

A shaft 16 in the gear case is rotatably mounted on bearings 17 and is disposed on an axis normal to the plane of the film in the guide and to the side of the inner edge of the film. A second shaft 18 in the gear casing is rotatably mounted on bearings 19 and' is disposed on an axis normal to the plane of the film in the guide and to the side of the inner edge of the film. This n shaft is accordingly parallel to the shaft 16, and is disposed between the shaft 16 and the film guide. A large spiral spur gear 21 is secured on the shaft 16 adjacent its rear end, and a small spiral Spui' gear 22 is formed on the shaft 18 adjacent its rear end and meshes with the large gear 21 whereby a plurality of revolutionsof the shaft 18 is effected during one revolution of the shaft 16, the ratio shown being three to one.

Disposed in aligned and spaced relation above and below the shaft 18 adjacent the 'rear end thereof on an axis disposed to the side of the inner edge ofthe film in the guide and parallel with the path of the film in the guide and intersected by the axis of the shaft 18 is a. pair of studs which are secured respectively in the upper and liwer walls of the gear casing 1. A shuttle'plate 24` is disposed in a vert-ical plane Within the gear casing, and has reduced centrally disposed upper andlower end portions, the extreme ends -25 of which are turned laterally or forwardly out of the plane of the plate at right angles thereto. See Figs. 3 and 4. These ends are bored coaxially on an axis extending in parallelism and in central rela tion with the plate, and the studs 23- engage respective of these bores whereby the shuttle 'plate is mounted for pivotal movement on the stud axis and for movement therealong. The shuttle plate 24 is provided With a central aperture- 26 elongated transversely of its pivotal axis and forming opposed surfaces extending transversely of the pivotal axis in intermediate relation with the studs. A radial cam 27 is formed' o-n the shaft 18 to the rear of the gear 22 and is engaged in said aperture and ope-rates upon said opposed surfaces to effect reciprocating film feeding and return movement of the shuttle plate along the studs during rotation of the shaft 18. The shuttle plate has a vertically-extending cam engaged portion- 28 extending in parallel-ism with the pivotal axis thereof and disposed at the side of the pivotal axis thereof opposite that on which the film in the guide lies, and a drum cam 29V secured on the rear end of the shaft 16 engages the portion 28 and operates thereon to effect oscillating film engaging and disengaging movement of the shuttle plate on its pivotal axis. Thel shuttle plate extends in back of the inner vertical edge portion of the rear face guide plate 3 and has a number of vertically spaced forwardly extending film engaging teeth 31 formed thereon adapted to extend through a vertically elongated aperture 32 in the guide plate, disposed between the aperture 4 and the inner vertical edge of the plate, and engage usual perforations spaced longitudinally of the film 15 adjacent the inner edge thereof and alined with the aperture 32.

The cam 27 effects one reciprocating film feed and return movement of the shuttle pla-te along its pivotal axis with each revolution thereof, and the cam 29 effects one oscillating film engaging and lreturn movement of the shuttle plate on its pivotal axis with eac-h revolution thereof and is adapted in its timed relation with the cam 27 to effect film engaging and disengagin movement of the shuttle plate in film fee ing relation with vbut oneof each plurality of feeding movements of the shuttle plate, and as shown the film is advanced during but one of each three revolutions of the cam 27. The effect of this arrangement is that the film advancing periods are extremely short and that the rest periods `are correspondingly long.

The intermittent feeding mechanism above described is a modification of the intermittent feeding mechanism described' and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent, No. 1,577 ,030, granted March 16, 1926, on application, Serial No. 572,169, filed by me July 1, 1922, for improvement in intermittent feed mechanism, and illustrates the adaptability of said intermittent feeding mechanism to a motion picture projecting machine, the modification herein shown reta-i11- ing the advantages of simplicity, ruggedness, adaptability for feeding motion picture film, and adaptability to operate on the film immediately adjacent the light aperture.

Secured on the extreme rearl end of the shaft 18 is a balanced single blade revolving light shutter 33 which is adapted to sweep across the light aperture 4 at the rear of the plate 3 to eHect synchronous interruptions of the' light. considerably less than and thereb effects predominating light impulses, see igs. 1 and 2, and is timed to interrupt the light during feeding movement of the film. In its rotation with the cam 27 the shutter interrupts the light at the same frequency as the advance movement or reciprocation fre- The blade of this shutter is quency of the shuttle plate. Under normal j operation the interruption frequency of the shutter is such that the synchronous light interruptions are imperceptible as such and the projected light appears to the eye as continuous an-d uninterrupted While the aggregate light projected is adequate by reason of the extremely short dark periods. Where as shown the shutter is connected to rotate at the same angular speed as the cam 27 a relatively small shutter ma be used Without causing a relatively long lend period, the speed at which the shutter rotates effecting a short blend period. Y

The mechanism hereinabove described may be driven in any suitable manner such as by means of a shaft 34 extending in the gear casing in parallelism with the shaft 16 and a. spur driving pinion 35 carried -by and driven from the shaft 34 and meshing with the gear 2l for driving the mechanism. While I have described and shown the preferred embodiment of my invention I do" not wish to be limited to the` precise details of construction as changes may readily be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:-

Claims:

1. A motion picture projecting machine Cil including an apertured film guide, a shuttle for engaging and feeding a film therein, a rotating cam for effecting film advancing and return movement of the shuttle and disposed to the side of one edge of the film in said guide on an axis normal to the plane of the film7 means for effecting engagement and disengagement of the shuttle with a film in timed relation With but one of each plurality of advancing movements of the shuttle to intermittently feed the film including a second rotating cam and a rotatory connection between the cams effecting a plurality of revolutions of the first mentioned cam during one of the second cam, and a revolving light shutter secured With the first mentioned cam and adapted to sweep over the aperture of the guide to interrupt the light during advance of the film.

2. A motion picture projecting machine including an apertured film guide, a shuttle' for engaging and feeding a film therein, a rotating member for effecting film advancing and return movement of the shuttle and disposed to the side of one edge of the film in said uide on an axis normal to the plane of the film, means for effecting engagement and disengagement of the shuttle with the film in film advancing relation with but one advancing movement thereof during each plurality of revolutions of said rotating member including a rotating cam disposed on an axis parallel with said rotating member, a small spur gear secured with said rotating member anda large spur gear meshed with the small gear and secured with sald cam, and a single blade revolving light shutter secured to said rotating member and adapted to sweep over the aperture of the guide to interrupt the light during advance of the film. I

3. A motion picture projecting machine including an apertured film guide, a film feed shuttle mounted for pivotal movement on an axis parallel with the path of the film in said guide and to the side of one edge thereof to provide film engaging and disengaging movement of the shuttle and for movement along such axis to provide film advance and return movement of the shuttle, a rotating member disposed to the side of said edge of the film on an axis normal to the plane of the film for effecting film advance and return movement of the shuttle, a rotating cam connected to rotate in timed relation with said rotating member adapted to eHect film engaging and disengaging movemeut of the shuttle in timed relation with but one of each plurality of revolutions of said rotating member to intermittently feed the film, and a single blade revolving light shutter secured to said rotating member and adapted to sweep over the aperture of the guide to interrupt the light during advance of the film.'

4. A motion picture projecting machine including an apertured film guide, a toothed film feed shuttle mounted for pivotal movement on an axis parallel with the path of a film in said guide and to the side of one edge thereof to provide film engaging and disengaging movement and for movement along such axis to provide film advance and return movement, a rotating radial cam disposed to the side of said edge of the film on an axis normal to the plane of the film for effecting film advance and return movement of the shuttle, means connected to operate in timed relation with said cam adapted to effect film engaging and disengaging movement of the shuttle in timed relation with but one of each plurality of advancing movements of the shuttle to intermittently feed the film, and a single blade revolving light shutter secured to said cam and adapted to siveep over the aperture of the guide ifz interrupt the light during advance of the 5. A motion picture projecting machine including an apertured film guide, a toothed feed shuttle mounted for pivotal movement on an axis parallel with the path of a film in said guide and to the side of one edge thereof to provide film engaging and disengaging movement and for movement'along such axis to provide film advance and return movement thereof, a rotating radial cam disposed to the side of said edge of the film on an axis normal to the plane of the film for effecting film advance and return movement of the shuttle, a small gear fixed with said cam, a large gear meshing there- 'with, a second cam fixed with said large gear and adapted to effect film engaging and disengaging movement of the shuttle in timed relation with but one of each plurality of revolutions of said radial cam to intermittently feed the film, and a single blade revolving light shutter secured to said first mentioned cam 0nd adapted tosweep over the aperture of the guide to interrupt the light during advance of the film.

6. A mot-ion picture projecting machine including an apertured film guide, a film feed shuttle mounted for pivotal movement on an axis parallel with the path of a film in said guide and to the side of one edge thereof to provide film engaging and disengaging movement and for movement along such axis to provide film advance and return movement thereof, said shuttle having a central opening therethrough elongated transversely ofthe pivotal axis and a cam engaged portion extending in parallelism with the pivotal axis of the shuttle and disposed at the side of the pivotal axis of the shuttle oppositethat on which the-lm lies, a rotating radial cam disposed on an axis normal to the plane of the film and intersecting the pivotal axis of the shuttle and engaged in said opening to provide advance and return movement of the shuttle a small spur gear xed with said cam, a large spur gear meshing with the small gear, a rotating drum cam disposed on an axis parallel With the radial cam and fixed with the large gear and engagingsaid cam engaged portion of the shuttle and adapted to efiect film engaging and disengaging movement of the shut- 10 tle in timed relation With but one of each plurality of revolutions of the radial cam to intermittently feed the film, and a single blade revolving light shutter fixed with said radial cani and adapted to sweep over the aperture ofthe guide to interrupt the light 15 during advance of the film.

In Witness whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 22nd day of April, 1924.

ALBERT S. HOWELL. 

